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I need to revamp our chores while on break.

The kids have gotten a little sloppy on their chores lately. I think I need to look at the whole thing system and give it an overhaul. My kids do more chores than most, honestly, but with this many people we all have to do our parts.

How do chores work in your family? Do you have a list? Do you just have everyone do whatever? Are you the only one doing them? Do you use rewards?

It is just DS and I so I tend to do most of the housework. He has his chores and his room is entirely his responsibility. He is 7 so as he gets older I will probably give him more to do, but for now it is mostly helping me with taking the trash out, getting his laundry to the laundry room and putting it up after it is washed (he is going to be learning how to wash it soon) and helping me sweep, mop and vaccum. I don't give him rewards for it. We are a team and have to work together to keep this place going. I don't nag at him to keep his room clean either. If it isn't clean enough to walk through then he can't have friends over. That tends to have him cleaning it up.

We have our behavior buck system. So the kids Choose to do chores - so they can earn enough bucks to rent their gaming systems or tv. I tried having a list they had to check off, we even had a magnetic list, but those inevitably turned into battles. But when we started using the Behavior Bucks it suddenly clicked. Things are listed our -

Dishes = $8,

Cat Litter changes = $5,

Laundry = $8,

Daily Chores (this is making their beds and putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, as well as feeding their pets) = $5

Cleaning = $5 (so if they clean the bathroom or whatever)

Vaccuuming =$4

Cooking = $6

Reading a Book = $10

School Work = $15

there is also a list of debits - these cost them bucks!

Fighting = - $20

Lying = - $35

Parental Repeats (if we have to repeat instructions more than 3 times) = - $10

then there is a list of things they can RENT with their bucks - they get to rent the item from 3pm until 10am the next morning.

Wii = $25

Wii Games = $5each

3 DS = $30

DS = $25

DS Games = $5

Nintendo 64 = $20

TV = $20 (but it's turned off from 8 PM till 7am)

DVD = $10 (on top of the tv cost)

computer (for play not school) = $35

This works for us. The kids want their games pretty much all the time, so they run though the list racking up bucks so they can earn enough for the DS, then they rack up more so they can look up cheat codes on the computer...lol...my poor enslaved kids!

It is just DS and I so I tend to do most of the housework. He has his chores and his room is entirely his responsibility. He is 7 so as he gets older I will probably give him more to do, but for now it is mostly helping me with taking the trash out, getting his laundry to the laundry room and putting it up after it is washed (he is going to be learning how to wash it soon) and helping me sweep, mop and vaccum. I don't give him rewards for it. We are a team and have to work together to keep this place going. I don't nag at him to keep his room clean either. If it isn't clean enough to walk through then he can't have friends over. That tends to have him cleaning it up.

I like the idea but I refuse to use rewards for chores with the kiddos. Lol I'm pretty sure Cole or Theo would choke a moose to play video games.

Quoting KickButtMama:

We have our behavior buck system. So the kids Choose to do chores - so they can earn enough bucks to rent their gaming systems or tv. I tried having a list they had to check off, we even had a magnetic list, but those inevitably turned into battles. But when we started using the Behavior Bucks it suddenly clicked. Things are listed our -

Dishes = $8,

Cat Litter changes = $5,

Laundry = $8,

Daily Chores (this is making their beds and putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, as well as feeding their pets) = $5

Cleaning = $5 (so if they clean the bathroom or whatever)

Vaccuuming =$4

Cooking = $6

Reading a Book = $10

School Work = $15

there is also a list of debits - these cost them bucks!

Fighting = - $20

Lying = - $35

Parental Repeats (if we have to repeat instructions more than 3 times) = - $10

then there is a list of things they can RENT with their bucks - they get to rent the item from 3pm until 10am the next morning.

Wii = $25

Wii Games = $5each

3 DS = $30

DS = $25

DS Games = $5

Nintendo 64 = $20

TV = $20 (but it's turned off from 8 PM till 7am)

DVD = $10 (on top of the tv cost)

computer (for play not school) = $35

This works for us. The kids want their games pretty much all the time, so they run though the list racking up bucks so they can earn enough for the DS, then they rack up more so they can look up cheat codes on the computer...lol...my poor enslaved kids!

Yeah, instead of them doing the same chores over and over let them switch off jobs every other week or something. It will keep it from getting to repetitive and if they can both do all the chores neither one can complain that the other one has less or easier chores.

Quoting mem82:

Maybe I should try changing up their rotation. Usually, Missie is kitchen, Cole is living room.

Quoting oredeb:

yes a list, and the kids all do chores, no rewards

they change every week on chores, i guess the reward would be the one doing the kitchen gets to sit up front!

No rewards. We each have jobs to do and we try to race each other. But if mom and dad say you've got to do it again, you come in last so they still do a good job. I clean the kitchen and daddy does the bathroom. Zave does cleaning day laundry (sheets, towels, rugs and rags) and sweeps the basement, living room, and classoom while the washer runs. Levi strips/makes the beds and vacuums the bedrooms. Quentin (4) sweeps and washes the steps and dusts the living room. Most of the time it only takes 3 hours for the big chore day.

During the week Quentin loads the dishwasher, zave hand washes the cast iron skillets, and Levi sweeps the kitchen while I touch up the rest of the house and do a load of laundry.

Right now I have a list of responsibiilites that they have to have done. If the list isn't complete then there is no Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. My kids will rush through those things to get that 1 hour of tv a day. I guess that is their reward. We have them clean their room, personal hygeine, making their bed, cleaning the living room, putting away dishes, putting away their laundry, vacuuming and wiping down the table and bathroom counters, they also have to feed and water the pets. I will be teaching the oldest how to properly clean the litter box this summer and she will help Daddy with that. I am going to show the youngest how to collect and empty the trash cans from around the house. Mine are 4 (almost 5) and 7.

I didn't want it to be a 'reward' system either. and i guess i never saw it that way. I always told them it was their job to help out, and I don't want to pay them 'real money' because I don't get real $$...lol..but I saw it as they get to have time to enjoy things once the 'work' was done, if the work isn't complete then the things they enjoy simply aren't available, without it seeming like I was holding their things hostage. Hehehe. But I know if I had been told that 'a clean house is its own reward" or "do it because I said so" I would have done a terrible job at my chores....and I did as a kid. I always saw the Behavior Bucks like our child-led learning - they choose a subject then I gather a variety of tools, then they choose what tools interest them. We are not so relaxed that they can just choose no tools, they have to choose from the list, same goes w/ our bucks - they can choose what they are willing to do. I guess I never saw it as a reward because technically I'm just allowing them to play with their own things - some of which they have purchased with their own money. KWIM? We actually started the system as a means of teaching economics, and were taken by surprise how it seemed to help the boys have tangible goals for everyday things. And my kids would probably also choke a moose for the games, which was why I chose it as our learning tools for economics. At first I thought to use saving real $$ for something they want to buy, but this was when DH was unemployed so we didn't have the extra $$ to spare. But they'd rather their games than even eating, so holding the games hostage until they finish everything for the day works. Technically, if they do their school work, and regular chores plus only 1 extra, then they will have enough for their DS every evening. So it wasn't like I was making them scrub floors w/ a toothbrush...lol...strange they've never worked that out for themselves? Lol

Quoting mem82:

I like the idea but I refuse to use rewards for chores with the kiddos. Lol I'm pretty sure Cole or Theo would choke a moose to play video games.

Quoting KickButtMama:

We have our behavior buck system. So the kids Choose to do chores - so they can earn enough bucks to rent their gaming systems or tv. I tried having a list they had to check off, we even had a magnetic list, but those inevitably turned into battles. But when we started using the Behavior Bucks it suddenly clicked. Things are listed our -

Dishes = $8,

Cat Litter changes = $5,

Laundry = $8,

Daily Chores (this is making their beds and putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, as well as feeding their pets) = $5

Cleaning = $5 (so if they clean the bathroom or whatever)

Vaccuuming =$4

Cooking = $6

Reading a Book = $10

School Work = $15

there is also a list of debits - these cost them bucks!

Fighting = - $20

Lying = - $35

Parental Repeats (if we have to repeat instructions more than 3 times) = - $10

then there is a list of things they can RENT with their bucks - they get to rent the item from 3pm until 10am the next morning.

Wii = $25

Wii Games = $5each

3 DS = $30

DS = $25

DS Games = $5

Nintendo 64 = $20

TV = $20 (but it's turned off from 8 PM till 7am)

DVD = $10 (on top of the tv cost)

computer (for play not school) = $35

This works for us. The kids want their games pretty much all the time, so they run though the list racking up bucks so they can earn enough for the DS, then they rack up more so they can look up cheat codes on the computer...lol...my poor enslaved kids!

Send me email updates about messages I've received on the site and the latest news from The CafeMom Team.
By signing up, you certify that you are female and accept the Terms of Service and have read the
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